Conventionally, an information processing device typified by a personal computer and a server, maintains setting information that is a precondition for processing in the information processing device and operates in accordance with the setting information. This enables operation of the information processing device to attune to user needs or environment of the information processing device.
As for setting information, for example, there are BIOS and firmware setting information. Such setting information is stored in CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) on a system board. The setting information is not limited to unchanged information but also includes information that changes in response to operational circumstances of the information processing device.
The setting information stored on the system board may need to be read from the CMOS and saved in an external device, if a failure occurs and the system board needs to be replaced. After replacing the system board, the setting information needs to be written back on the system board.
Conventionally, if a failure occurs, an operating system (OS) used for recovery is started up from a flexible disk (FD) or the like to read and save setting information under the recovery OS. After the system board is replaced, the setting information is written again under the recovery OS.
Hereafter, a conventional recovery procedure will be explained.
After confirming that a system board needs to be replaced by a test program or the like, firstly, a FD or the like that stores a recovery OS is inserted in an information processing device and the recovery OS is started. Then, under the recovery OS, setting information stored on CMOS on the system board is read and saved in the FD or the like.
Next, power of the information processing device is shut down and the system board is replaced.
After replacing the system board, the recovery OS is started once more and the setting information saved in the FD or the like is read under the recovery OS and stored in CMOS on a new system board.
Then, an original OS is started and the recovery is confirmed by running a test program.
Such a recovery procedure enables the information processing device to be restored to its original state including the setting information.
However, if such a failure that disables starting of OS occurs in an information processing device, reading operation like this becomes impossible.
To avoid this, as a conceivable method of recovering a system completely, a backup of the setting information is prepared before a failure occurs, and if a failure occurs, the setting information is restored from the backup after a system board is replaced so far as to enable the recovery OS to start.
Traditionally, various techniques have been known as a technique of backing up information in an information processing device. One known technique prepares a drive and a medium dedicated solely to backup firmware data of a printer to save information in the medium (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-301067, for example). Another known technique saves setting information in a CF card built in an information processing device (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-31240, for example).